Technical God help me im sooo lost

Cranks easy with the plugs out. "Fairly" safe assumption that it's not an internal engine binding or clearance problem.
Torque convert has no effect connected to disconnected. Pretty much rules out the torque converter being wedged into the pump.
Take number one spark plug out and stick your finger into the threads thus plugging up the hole. Turn the engine by hand until compression pushes your finger out. Slowly continue until the piston is at the top (that's TDC compression stroke).
Now check your distributor and make sure the rotor is almost to the spark plug wire going to number one cylinder.
If so, then trace each plug wire from the distributor to the spark plugs... counting clockwise. 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. Odd numbers driver side, Even numbers passenger side.

 

exhaust plugged? i had a motor that wouldn't start and i found the muffler packed solid with thistle seed.
forget plugs or rags in the exhaust ports?

 

A couple things come to mind. Are you sure that the timing gear is installed correctly. did the marks line up.
When you tuned the engine to TDC, and the piston was up and rotor was pointing to number one, were both valves in the closed position.
Are they new hydraulic lifters and if so, did you soak them in oil for quit awhile before installing them.
Did you verify that all the plug wires are going to the correct cylinder. ###Seems like this is the usual problem people have when engine won't turn over###
How did you set your lifters prior to trying to start the engine.

 

Isn't the HAMB great ?

 

When you turn it over with the plugs out, check to see if the rotor is turning, if it is, see if the rockers
are moving also. Sound like an obstruction in the exhaust, or the valves are not opening. Anyway make
sure the cam is turning.

 

or it’s TDC of the exhaust stroke....the engine goes to TDC twice in the 4 stroke combustion cycle. Gotta check the position of the valves to correctly identify which is which.

Ray[/QUOTE]
No compression buildup on exhaust stroke. IF the rockers are close to being correct.
If the rockers are right, it won't blow a plastic cap plug as it's moving up to tdc on exhaust. But, as it's moving up to tdc on compression, it'll send the cap plug to the ceiling.

 

No compression buildup on exhaust stroke. IF the rockers are close to being correct.
If the rockers are right, it won't blow a plastic cap plug as it's moving up to tdc on exhaust. But, as it's moving up to tdc on compression, it'll send the cap plug to the ceiling.[/QUOTE]

You are, of course, correct and I knew that....I just reread the post and saw that I had misread the part about “continue turning the engine until the compression pushes your finger out”.
I was thinking “until the piston pushes your finger out”. My bad. I have deleted the erroneous and embarrassing post. Sorry

Ray

 

Pull the distributor, An turn 180°, pull cap, Look at rotor, Lift, drop in...

 

He mentioned yellow spark. That sticks out as a Problem. (not blue or white)

 

Did you prime the oil pump a few times while adjusting the valves on the stand? With valve covers off, are the valves opening and closing?

 

These threads with a couple dozen different guys giving a couple dozen different suggestions don't often lead to a fix. To the OP, just remember the basics, always go back to the basics. This isn't brain surgery, you can do this. If you struggle with it, it isn't the end of the world, you'll get it, have some confidence. It's just a machine, you know how it's supposed to work, now take your time and think it through.

Note, just because the battery shows full voltage doesn't mean it's good. We had a thread here not too long ago where the car owner swore the battery was good, but the car wouldn't start. He tried everything he could think of and finally gave up and took it in to a pro. What was the problem? A bad battery. It showed good voltage, but as soon as you put a load on it the voltage fell to zero. Take the load off and voltage would go back up to normal again. Dude replaced the battery and that was it.

Have you load tested the battery? How do you know the cables and the connections are good? Have you positively eliminated them as a possible problem? How many amps is the starter drawing? (not an easy question to answer, unless you have an amp meter that will read that high) Remember the basics. You got this.

 

I would start by turning engine over with no plugs, that's ok. While the plugs are out check compression, if the cam timing is off the compression readings will be also. Install plugs try turning the engine over with the ignition disconnected even if the timing is wrong the starter should be able to spin it over, if not look at the starter, cables, battery, solenoid. If it spins over fine go through your timing, firing order, check that your firing order is correct for distributor rotation.

 

120 ft. lbs. to turn engine over. DEAD BATTERY? The 'turning' was with a torque wrench.
Unless...it was an 'electric one'?!?

 

Well If this was last summer I would have dropped by in a heart beat . I am a finish carpenter by day and was working a project up in Appleton and spent 4 nights a week sitting in the Country Inn off College Ave and Hwy 41. I believe you have a valve timing issue and valves are not opening when they should. With the plugs out you have no compression, with the plugs in some how you are somehow overlapping compression strokes and binding the motor or as stated before you have a lot more compression than you think. Was the block decked and the head's shaved? I had this happen on a 390 a few years back, did not realize the block and heads had been machined before. Valves where actually making light contact with pistons. It was a good thing it did not fire, would have ended up with some bent valves or push rods! Ended up having to get custom oversize head gaskets. Wish I could help but I am 2 hours away and no real free time for a road trip. See if you can get hold of a compression tester and go from there. Larry

 

You've said a couple of times that you've put oil in the cylinders. How much have you put in them, as too much will drive the compression through the roof. Take all the plugs out and spin it with the starter for two or three 10 second intervals. That should blow most of the oil out of the cylinders. Then do a compression test to see what your numbers are. Report back.

Also, put your breaker bar/torque wrench on the balancer bolt and turn the crank 10 degrees. Does it immediately require 126 lb/ft of torque to turn it, or do you need to turn it a ways before encountering this high torque reading? That will indicate if it is something physically binding, or a ridiculously high compression issue.

 

It doesn’t have to be 180 out to spit back. It can be off 1 plug and do the same thing. I’d retard the timing just a bit, it may be firing too soon. And double check the firing order and rotation, I’ve had the order right but the rotation reversed and it would spit back.
We used to have to pull start VW bugs with fresh builds sometimes, the stock starters just didn’t have the torque to turn them fast enough for that first start.

 

Trace, sent you a PM (conversation).

 

I assembled a 4 cyl Chev once and it turned very hard. Talked to the mechanic at work and he asked if I had "set" (for lack of better term) the thrust bearing on the mains? He said to take a small block of wood and a heavy hammer and tap each end of the crank. Smooth easy spinning after that

 

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I sure hope his wife tells him to take a breath and takes the night off . Come back with a fresh set of eyes and clear mind the next day. You can just feel his fustration.

 

You are, of course, correct and I knew that....I just reread the post and saw that I had misread the part about “continue turning the engine until the compression pushes your finger out”.
I was thinking “until the piston pushes your finger out”. My bad. I have deleted the erroneous and embarrassing post. Sorry

Ray[/QUOTE]
It's scary no matter how many times ya' do it though. You know your finger is in the threads, and you know your finger isn't in the chamber. But, in the back of your mind, you're cringing. LOL!!

 

He's not gonna fall for the banana in the tail pipe...

Giphy by Chappy444 posted Aug 23, 2018 at 11:53 AM

 

Left you a message on the phone with my number yesterday, would like to know more about cam timing.

Norb

 

Go back to my post and read it again.

 

Put the plugs back in and reverse rotate the engine by hand and see if you come up with the same readings

 

Roughly how much torque should it take to manually turn a decent, known, engine over with the plugs in? Presumably that wouldn't be constant either as the engine decompresses after each firing stroke, so it'd be kind lumpy each quarter turn (assuming 8 cylinder!), right?

Chris

 

He hasn't been back since 4:55 yesterday. I wonder if he got it going or just gave up?

 

When read this stuff,""put plugs in an it stops turning" seems first thing to look for is,if plug is mashed by piston ?

 

I was going to say that earlier but i assumed when he had the plugs out he would have noticed the plugs smashed or gap closed. Maybe not . I guess never assume

 

I agree with others start with a battery, borrow one that's good give it a go, also ground, maybe ground strap from starter to frame in addition to battery ground, and timing.